Just as Unohana was aware of Tenjiro, Tenjiro Kirinji was well aware of Unohana Yachiru.
It wasn't particularly strange.
And honestly, I had already expected things to turn out this way.
After all, I have a decent grasp of how the Zero Division operates.
The members of the Zero Division, selected to defend the Soul King Palace, cannot easily leave the vicinity of the Royal Realm due to their duties.
However, the fact that they cannot leave doesn't mean they can't observe the Soul Society or receive reports. It simply means they aren't permitted to descend carelessly.
To put it in simple terms... those chosen for Squad 0 become something akin to constellations in the sky.
The difference from actual stars is that while they watch, they do not interfere unless the situation is truly exceptional.
And 'exceptional,' in this context, means an event occurring below that threatens to affect the Soul King Palace itself.
If I hadn't stopped that gargantuan Hollow—I believe its name was Ikomikidomoe—they likely would have descended in my stead.
Which means Tenjiro had been watching everything when Unohana slaughtered the people of his Kirinden.
Unohana likely knows this, which is why she might be hesitant to learn Kaido from him... or perhaps not.
The details regarding the Zero Division haven't exactly been made public yet.
If she's hesitant without even knowing who the Zero Division is, then it might just be a simple matter of her conscience.
In that sense, I'll hold off on asking Tenjiro to teach her until this tension is resolved.
Actually, looking at them now, just facing each other seems to be their limit. Teaching? That's a pipe dream for now.
I should just be grateful they haven't drawn their blades to split each other's skulls open yet.
"Well, I'm going to go see that Great Monk's face for a bit, so you two have a talk."
I spoke as if I were leaving the area, but instead, I completely suppressed my presence and watched the two from a short distance away.
"...."
"...."
Honestly, watching from the side, the silence was so stifling it felt like someone was stuffing dry lead down my throat.
But that didn't mean I intended to step in and lead the conversation.
If I forced the dialogue, I'd be no different from an irresponsible teacher trying to patch a problem with a hollow 'Now, shake hands and apologize to each other.'
I might be a flawed master, but I refuse to be an irresponsible one.
That's why I'm hiding and watching while pretending to go elsewhere.
Of course, I'll step in if it looks like they're actually going to kill each other, but otherwise, I intend to watch in silence no matter what happens.
That is my resolve.
And that's why I'm waiting patiently, even though this atmosphere is agonizingly frustrating.
...Though, I really wish someone would just say something.
As I kept my silent vigil, it was Unohana who finally broke the silence.
"First, I wish to offer my sincerest apologies. Two hundred and thirty years ago, due to my hideous greed, I slaughtered the people of Kirinden. For that, I offer my atonement."
With those words, Unohana knelt formally and bowed her head.
Even as her forehead touched the ground in a deep bow, Tenjiro's expression only twisted into a harsh scowl.
After staring down at her in silence for a long time, Tenjiro scratched his head irritably and let out a heavy sigh.
"You're barking up the wrong damn tree, you crazy bitch."
"...Yes."
"It's true I'm pissed that you killed my people at Kirinden. But I'm not the one who can accept your apology. I have no intention of doing so, either!!"
With a roar, Tenjiro slammed the long wooden paddle resting on his shoulder into the ground right next to Unohana's face.
CRACK!!!
Yet, even with the wooden beam shattering the ground inches from her face, Unohana didn't flinch, let alone lift her head.
"The people you need to apologize to aren't in this world anymore!! They're dead!! So don't you dare think for a second that you'll be forgiven!"
"I have long known that I committed a sin beyond forgiveness."
At her words, Tenjiro glared at her, teeth bared.
Tenjiro waited in silence, and only then did Unohana slowly raise her head.
"That is why... I will live my life saving more people than I have killed. So that one day, when I encounter those I murdered, I can bow my head and apologize with dignity—so I can tell them I lived a life without regrets."
"...You're saying you won't regret killing them?"
"If I were to regret my actions, then the deaths of those who fell by my hand would become utterly meaningless. I intend to carry that weight for the rest of my life. It is my failure, and it is my karma."
"Ha!"
Tenjiro barked a hollow laugh toward the sky, then swung the wooden beam back onto his shoulder and turned his back to her.
"I'll see how long that resolve lasts."
"Then, please teach me Kaido."
"Follow me. I was planning on doing that from the start anyway."
If she had planned to just apologize and leave, I was going to beat the lessons into her regardless, so I suppose this works out fine.
Tenjiro stomped away with heavy strides.
"What are you doing, you brat?! Get a move on!"
Only then did Unohana rise and quietly follow after him.
Well, it worked out somehow.
'A life spent in eternal atonement...'
It's a path through a field of thorns.
Worse, the fact that there is no one left to grant her forgiveness means she is trapped in an eternal cycle with no hope of salvation.
Of course, since it's a life she chose and a path she resolved to take, I won't stop her.
I only hope that at the end of it, she finds some semblance of peace.
I can't live Unohana's life for her, after all...
I can only wish for it.
Five years had passed since I brought Unohana to the Soul King Palace.
Unohana absorbed Tenjiro's teachings instantly, making them her own. Her growth rate far exceeded my expectations.
After five years, she reached a level where she could heal almost any wound without leaving a single scar.
Even Tenjiro admitted that while she was a 'crazy bitch,' her learning speed was impressively fast. Considering how long it took Tenjiro himself to master medicine under me, her pace was truly extraordinary.
But it wasn't exactly a mystery.
Unohana lived like a monster in the past, but she is highly intelligent and has a natural genius for Kaido.
Furthermore... she possessed the most crucial experience needed for healing.
The experience of killing. And Unohana had that in excess.
Why is the experience of killing necessary to learn Kaido?
Because assembly is simply the reverse of disassembly, and vice-versa.
To fix something, you must first understand exactly what is inside and where everything goes.
Only then can you understand where the pain is coming from and how to mend it.
Of course, I'm just using this analogy to make it easy to understand; I'm not saying people are mere objects.
Anyway, today was the one day a month when Tenjiro didn't hold lessons.
And despite it being her day of rest, Unohana went out of her way to visit the room where I stayed.
Well, I couldn't exactly kick out a disciple who came all this way to see me, so I decided to keep her company for a bit.
"So? Is Kaido worth learning?"
"Yes. I have learned many things—tea ceremonies, cleaning, cooking... But I believe this is the most rewarding path I have taken thus far."
"I notice you didn't say it was easy."
"How could I call something so grave as handling human life 'easy'?"
"Right. That's enough for me."
"Hehe."
Unohana chuckled contentedly and pushed a steaming cup of tea toward me.
It was green tea. I wonder where she even found green tea in a place like this.
Well, as long as it tastes good, I'm not complaining.
I took a long, steady sip of the tea.
"Whew... You know, on a rest day like today, you really should just relax."
"This is what I have chosen."
"I'm worried about the disciple I chose ruining her health, you brat. I understand your drive, but rest when you're supposed to rest. You've been cutting back on sleep to read medical texts all night lately, haven't you?"
"...How did you know?"
"I know everything except what I don't know, kid. Sleep when it's time to sleep while I'm still being nice. You'll regret it later if you ruin your body now."
I talked a big game, but truth be told, I only had a hunch. Tenjiro was the one who actually told me.
He had asked me to tell her personally, since he knew she wouldn't listen to a word he said.
He was grumbling about how he hated seeing her ruin herself just to study. If he's worried, he should just say he's worried. Honestly, men...
Given their history, I can understand the awkwardness, but life is too short to be so conflicted.
Everything in the world changes; do debts and grudges born of the human heart really have to last forever?
"Take care of yourself so you can live longer. You'll save far more people if you have a long life ahead of you."
I meant that sincerely.
If she lived a long life saving souls, it might lessen her guilt during the trial she'll face after death, if only by a fraction.
Of course, I don't intend to tell her that part.
Advising her on how to live is the role of a master, but speaking of what comes after death exceeds that role.
Unohana seemed to feel my sincerity. She drifted into thought for a moment before nodding.
"I will keep that in mind."
"Now go and get some rest. How long are you going to stay stuck to my side?"
"Oh my. But for me, this is* resting."
As she spoke with a gentle, curving smile, her eyes shone with an affection she didn't bother to hide.
I was left speechless by that 'fastball' of affection—unflinching, direct, and impossible to dodge.
"...Sigh. Do whatever you want."
I downed the rest of my green tea.
For some reason, the tea tasted especially bitter today.
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